Word
consumerism
Phoneticscon·sumerism
US/kənˈsumɝˌɪzəm/
UK/kənsˈuːməɹˌɪzəm/
Definition
n. the belief that buying things is the most important way to be happy or successful. It is also the system where companies make and sell products to people who want to buy them.
n. the social and economic system in which the production and consumption of goods and services is the primary focus of economic activity. It also refers to the ideology that the acquisition of material possessions is the most important aspect of life.
Examples
“The rise of consumerism has changed how we shop.”
“Many environmentalists argue that modern consumerism is leading to a rapid depletion of natural resources.”
Examples
simple
“The rise of consumerism has changed how we shop.”
contextual
“Many environmentalists argue that modern consumerism is leading to a rapid depletion of natural resources.”
Real-World Examples
“If Major League Baseball’s core product is really nostalgia, and the NFL’s is consumerism and nationalism, then the Premier League’s, going by NBC’s presentation, is anglophilia.” Etymology
From consumer + -ism.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/consumerism